Car-fender



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. B. DONAHOO. GAR FENDER.

No. 564,599. Patented July 28, 1896.

VINVENTOR WITNESSES 3% 6A,.

ATTORNEN (No Model) 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. B. DONAHOO.

GAR FENDER.

No. 564,599. Patented July 28, 1896.

WITNESSES: INVENTUI? 73M 12. AMAQMJ" W Y ATTWYIVEI'J UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE. Y

PETER B. DONAHOO, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,599, dated July 28,1896.

Application filed November 11,1895.

,To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, PETER B. DONAHOO, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Fenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of said invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, andpractise the same.

This invention relates to car-fenders, and has for its objects to strikethe person to be raised with a resilient blow to prevent injury byreason of the impact, to overcome liability to breakage of the fender,to ride the grades on starting up a hill, and to prevent the person frombeing caught under the fender.

The invention consists in constructing a fender or guard to extend inthe path of the car of a number of spring-arms to act independently; inproviding the members with rollers at their forward end to prevent theirbeing caught by the ground and forced back; and in binding the armstogether by a flexible connection to cause them to act in unison forgreater strength.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the invention asapplied to a car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing onemanner of connecting the fender to the trucks. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of one ofthe arms bent in shape, the dotted line showing the mounting-bar andground-roller. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in section of theground-roll. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the mounting-bar as appliedto the body of the car instead of the trucks.

For purpose of description with reference to the drawings, we will letthe letter A designate the spring-arms of which the fender isconstructed. The arms are constructed of spring-wire to the form shownat Fig. ,4 of the drawings, the upperend being twisted to form the loopA to receive a bolt which holds the arm on the mounting-bar B. The armsare so formed as to hug the bar B one-half or three-quarters around itand sprung away on top and in front to give greater spring. At the lowerand forward end the arms are bent to form the hooks A which extend intoSerial No. 568,593. (No model.)

the rollers D. These rollers are formed of cast metal and are cored outto form the hollow D to obviate any tendency on the part of the hooks Ato catch and jam. Intermediate the upper and lower ends of the arms thewire on either side is bent to form loops A forthe reception of thelinks of the chain F.

The mounting-bar is a hollow metal bar of suitable diameter and extendsthe full width of the car.

The arms A, when bent as shown and described, are mounted on themounting-bar by the flat-headed screws B, which enter perforationsprepared for them in the bar B. The rollers are then mounted on them byspreading the two arms of which they are composed and inserting thehooked ends A through the perforations D in the ends of 7o the roller D.The chain F is then attached, one link catching each of the loops Aunder which it rests. The arms A are now bound securely together in sucha manner as to permit a slight amount of movement in each arm 7 5independently of the other arm, while at the same time not permitting anentirely independent movement. In this manner I provide for a greaterresiliency, by reason of the fact that some one part of the person is'80 struck before the body is lifted. Thus, if

the shoulder is struck, the initial strain is carried by one or two ofthe arms A, which give slightly before the strain is transmitted to allthe arms by the chain F, and the full strength of the fender-arms isbrought into play. WVhen thus mounted, the bar B is suspended fromeither the car body or the truck by the heavy strap-springs C, which aresecured to the body or truck by bolts C 0 and to the bar by beinginserted and clamped in the slots B in the ends of the bar. The springsC are bent around the bar in a coil,

as shown.

- By the use of the springs C any heavy 5 shock on the fender whichmight endanger the light construction is relieved bythe' springs C,which give before a breaking strain is exerted on the arms of thefender.

In its operation, when the end of the fender I00 strikes an object, thearms A give, and in so doing turn on the bar B as a center. The archdescribed by the forward ends carries them instantly down on the groundand consequently in position to pass under the person. Further movementon the part of the car forces the ends of the arms under the person andcauses him to 'roll up onto the fender, where the combined strength ofthe arms holds him suspended. By thus mounting the arms A to allow for aslight independent movement, any accident, such as a person getting anarm caught under the front of the fender and being jammed under to bebroken or torn, is provided against. If in this fender the arm of theperson passes under, the particular arm A, which it strikes, will giveand spring to one side, allowing the arm of the person to pass betweenthe fender arms, while the body is struck and lifted by the rest of thefender.

l/Vhen it is desired to mount this fender on the body of the ear, theyoked arm E, mounted on the truck, should be used. The necessity for itsuse exists in the rocking of the body of the car on the trucks. Thiswould raise and lower the end of the fender, so that it would be at adangerous height at one instant and striking the ground at the next. Thearm E is pivotally mounted in the plate E on the truck X. At the forwardend it is provided with the yoke E, which engages the bar B. In mountingthe spring C on the body considerable tension in a backward direction isgiven to seat the bar in the yoke E. It will be observed that with thisconstruction the action of the arm E is to throw the bar B forward asthe body of the car and the truck approach each other, and the spring 0forces the bar back as the car body and truck separate. In this mannerthe forward end of the fender is maintained at a constant level, as thearc of its movement is from the center, where the springs C are attachedto the car-body.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is- In a car-fender,the combination of a mounting-bar,with a series of double spring-armsextended forward and adapted to act independently the one of the other,rollers adapted to receive the ends of the double spring-arms andprevent the ends catching and binding in the track, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day ofOctober, 1895.

PETER B. DONAHOO. Witnesses:

J. T. STONE, E. F. MURnooK.

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